Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-07-07
DR.. HENRY WEST.
A BUSY AND USEFUL LIFE rEDrD.

7, Among all her eminent sons, Belmont count
has had few citizens more deserving of per
manent record than DR.. West. A complete &C
count of his life would be history of tt
= county.
n The earliest account of the family at presen
obtainable begins with James West, of count
Antrim, Ireland, grandfather of DR.. West, VIII
. came with his family to America in the last EN-
8 igrant ship which came before the setting in O
s the revolutionary war, in HIS. DR.. West
father, James West, was then about two year
old. The family landed at Wilmington, Della
4 ware, and soon afterward settled in JuDiat
3 2 county, Pennsylvania, where they lived til
9 1898, when, accompanied by the family of Col
Thomas McCune ian officer of the revolution
r ary war; and his brother, James McCune, the,
came to "the frontier" to locate. Crossin!
the river at the point where Warrenton, Jeffer
son county, now stands, the three families pro
ceeded to locate permanently, by taking up be.
tween them $40 acres of land in what is now
Warren township, Jefferson county, in section
22-the southern line of which section three
years later became a portion of the northern
boundary of new county, called Belmont
The families built temporary residence near
the river bank, about two miles north Of the
present county line, near the station now
called Tiltonsville. Here they remained during
the winter, and during the ensuing summer
they removed to more permanent quarters,
about one mile further west. Afterward, upon
a partition of the section among the three
proprietors, the Vests became owners of 2l3
acres in the southern part, adjoining Belmont
county. James West, jr., father ofthe Doctor,
was millwright. He built the first horse
nill ever built in that country, on Little Short
creek, near the county line. In 1906, this was
replaced by water mill. The father, James
West, died in 1906, leaving one son, James,
and one daughter.
James West, jr., married Mary Brown, in
1906; prospered in business; became owner of
large amount of property, both in Belmont
and Jefferson counties; raised q large family,
consisting of one daughter and ten sons. Died
December 81, 1851.
Dr. HENRY WEST was the second son (third
child of James West, jr. He was born in
Jefferson county, Ohio, April Sth, 1910. He
was educated mostly in the common schools,
getting, like the bard of Avon, "little Latin
and less Creek" from private tutors. He
studied medicine at Mt.Pleasant with DR.. VIM.
Hamilton, a noted physician of the day, and
afterward took the degrees in the Medical Col
1885, making the journey in stage coach, the
National Road being completed as far as
GAINESVILLE. According to q custom of the
time, however, he practiced his profession
nearly five years before taking his degree of
NJ. D., during which time he had won
considerable distinction by his success
in treatment of cholera, at Bridgeport, in 1888.
After graduating, he returned 10 Bridgeport,
where he continued to practice his profession
until April, 184l, when he removed to st.
Clairsville, where he continued to reside until
his death.
While residing al Bridgeport, he was mar
ried, on May IA, 1885, to Agnes Adeline Kirk
wood, fifth daughter ofCapt. Joseph Kirkwood.
In 1888, DR.. West, jackson Democrat, was
elected as sole Representative in the General
Assembly OF Ohio, for the term of one year
under the old constitution. In 1899 he was
reelected, with Thomas Way, father of the
late Judge Way. At the close of his second
term, he practiced medicine at st. Clairsville
until the breaking out OF the war.
Strong Democrat as he was, and of the
"Old Hickory" type, DR.. West was patriot
and ere the echoes of the first gun fred at the
American flag upon the walls of Sumter had
died away, he was upon the streets of ST.
Clairsville proclaiming himself an ardent Re-
publican, in which political faith he continued
steadfast until the hour of his death. 1t was
Characteristic of the man to be earnest in
his convictions, brave in the assertion of them,
and always to back his opinion with his con-
duct. He enlisted as a volunteer, but was
promptly appointed by Gov. Tod, in August,
1862, as Surgeon of the 98th o. V. l. He
served nearly two years, but resigned his posi-
ton and returned home on account of the
death of his wife,
In 1865 he was elected as a. Republican to
the Ohio Senate, for the term of two years.
He voted for the Fourteenth Amendment to
the Constitution of the United States, which
became operative upon being ratified by the
legislatures of two-thirds of the States. He
| al cd for fho Enobli1tr ,f
mitted the Fifteenth Amendment to vote of
the people. In political life he was associated
with Cows. Vance, Wilson Shannon, John
Brough, David Tod, and Rufus P. Spaulding,
Warner NJ. Bsteman, and host OF others
scarcely less eminent in the political history
of Ohio. Joseph Vance was Governor when
he was first elected to the House of Represen-
tatives. He was elected both times on the
nor. During these terms, Brough was a MEM
Der of the House, and j J. Faran-afterward
one of the proprietors of the Enquirer-was
| Speaker. In the Senate were David Ted, Ben.
non, and Rumber of others who were then,
or afterward, prominent leaders.
The Doctor was twice Mayor of st. Clairs-
vile. His administrations were stormy ones,
but he stood by his declarations and opinions
with that tenacity and courage characteristic
of the man.
DR.. West was the father of eighteen children
eight by his first wife, six of whom are liv-
ing-fve by his second wife, three of whom are
living-iVe by his third wife, all living. His
first wife died July g. 1854. June %, 1855, he
was married to Agnes Parker, who died January
"a, 1854. December 81, 1866, he married
Mary Jane Douglass, who survives him.
The "county seat fight" displayed the abili-
ties of DR.. West as leader, more than any
other matter of his life. In three several To-